Years Later
by 087-B
Summary: Fourteen years after the cancellation of Animaniacs!, the Warner trio find themselves out in the world again after being locked up, though dark memories from their past come back to haunt them, causing a string of horrid events that could lead to their untimely demises, leading them to wonder if they should've been let out after all. Rated T to be safe. Contains some foul language.
1. Chapter 1

**A note before this story begins: 90% of this story is not canon to the Animaniacs TV series or real life history and current events. Well, the entire TV series happened how it happened, the 7 seasons, the 99 episodes, the movie, all that stuff happened…so I guess the TV series in this story will follow as much canon as I can possibly fit into this story.**

**Another note: One of the main characters in the story is the son of Steven Spielberg, but this character I made up completely (as far as my knowledge of his Spielberg's life goes. He has 6 children as of today). I actually don't know if Spielberg has a child with the same characteristics as my character. Also, in this story, Spielberg is the owner of the Warner Brothers Studios, rather than working at it. He also dies earlier on just to fit with plot of this story. Any fictional characters and events in this story that reflect real world people and events are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.**

**Now, on with the show!**

_Chapter 1: A Big Inherit_

_**Year: 1992 - April 23**_

"Jonathan, come here." Spielberg called out to his son. "The new episode is on." Jonathan smiled and got up from the bed in his bedroom to go join his father in the living room.

The 5-Year-Old boy struggled to make his way down the hall to the living room due to his leg brace. With his disability, it was hard to do many things, but he stilled managed. He took a seat next to his father on the couch and watched the television screen. The familiar theme and title of the Animaniacs played on the television set. The boy marveled as Steven Spielberg sat proud at his latest episode. Another day at the Warner Brothers Studios, another episode of one of his favorite cartoon projects. Once the episode was over, Spielberg turned to face the boy.

"How was it?" He asked.

"It was…awesome!" Jonathan said. "Dad, what's it like working with the Warners?"

"It's eventful and exciting. Maybe one day I can take you to the studios so you can meet them." Spielberg said. His son beamed with excitement. Spielberg then reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden key. His son stared at it with a confused look on his face.

"What's that key for, dad?" He asked. Spielberg placed it in his son's hands.

"Hold on to this key." Spielberg said. "It will become very important later in your life."

"When and why?" Jonathan asked. His father smiled.

"You'll know when." He said. "But you have to find out why."

:::::

_**20 Years Later - Year: 2012 - March 3**_

The sun shined on modern day Burbank, California, as the white car containing now 25-Year-Old Jonathan Spielberg drove toward the currently closed Warner Brothers Studios. He whistled a theme to himself as he maneuvered the controls of the car. It was hard to drive with his crutch and his disability, but like always, he managed. He pulled into the studio lot just as the workers noticed. The old studio was being repaired at the moment, as it had aged in the past 20 years.

"Finally, you showed up." One worker said. He was an older man with a mustache. "Welcome to your father's studio, Jonathan." Jonathan stepped out of the car and shook hands with the worker.

"Please, just call me Jon." Jonathan said. "Now if I'm correct, I own the entire lot now, right?"

"Yep, it's what you've inherited from your father." The worker said. "Spielberg was a brilliant man. You've got animation skills in your veins too, I bet."

"Heh heh, maybe." Jon said, smirking. "I never really expected my dad to pass this place on to me…I always thought he'd just want it to remain untouched and have it not be tampered with."

"Well your father was…extraordinary, to say the least." The worker said. "Come on, let me show you to the first warehouse. I think you'll like this one…"

The worker led Jon to the first building and opened the door. The room was very dark but a lot of stuff seemed to be in it. Jon stepped inside and flicked a light switch on the nearby wall. The room lit up in one of those one-row-of-lights-at-a-time scenarios. The room has many post-it notes covering the walls and many desks with piles of papers on them. At the other end of the room was a small desk with a green mat on it. Jon approached it and saw a name tag with the engraving of S. Spielberg on it. He saw a picture on the desk of him when he was just a kid.

"20 years ago, 1992." Jon muttered.

"What?" The worker heard him. Jon showed him the picture.

"20 years ago, 1992. My dad took this picture." He said. His younger self was giving double thumbs up and was wearing an Animaniacs t-shirt. "I loved his TV cartoons. They lit me up all the time." He set the picture back down.

"I ordered the rest of my men to not touch this room at all unless you say otherwise." The worker said. "I figured it was of sentimental value to ya."

"It is." Jon said. "It was my dad's office…and now it's mine."

"Take as much time as you need in here." The worker said. "When you're ready, come back out and I'll show ya the rest of the lot." Then he left the building. Jon smiled at the picture on his father's…no, HIS desk. He wouldn't get rid of it for any reason. Then he eyed the shirt his younger self was wearing.

'_The Animaniacs…'_ He thought. _'…that show ended when I was 11. I can't believe I actually thought the Warner siblings were real.'_

:::::

"I never realized the lot was this big." Jon said as he walked around the third set of buildings.

"Ain't you ever been here before?" The worker asked.

"Once, when I was a baby, I think." Jon replied. He reached into his pocket with his one free hand and pulled out a lighter. He leaned himself and his crutch against a wall and used his other hand to grab a cigarette from his pocket. He put it in his mouth, lit it, put the lighter away, and began walking with his crutch again.

"Never thought of you as a smoker." The worker said.

"Neither did I." Jon said. "I can't help it though. It's addicting."

"You ever plan on having kids?" The worker asked.

"Huh?" Jon was a little bit surprised at the question.

"I mean like get a wife, have children, and raise a family." The worker said. "You know?"

"I never really planned on getting married." Jon said. "I never even had a girlfriend in high school, and still not in college, so I have no plans yet. As for children, I have no clue how to raise kids."

"I got a wife and two kids. They can raise hell, the kids, but they're sweet." The worker said. Jon smiled.

"I bet." He continued to walk along with the worker. "If anything, one kid is easy, two is the norm, while three is a challenge."

"I bet it will be. My wife is having another." The worker said. "Those things don't always work you know."

"What do you-" Jon stopped himself. "Oh, those."

"Word of advice: If you ever get kids, teach them manners in their infant stage." The worker said. "Maybe your life won't be hell, or close to it."

"Maybe I just won't have kids…" Jon muttered to himself. The worker didn't pick up on it.

They were approaching the final building when Jon stopped near some trees. The trees were surrounding a large water tower with the Warner Brothers logo embedded on it. A ladder was connected to it that allowed them to climb, and a pulley based elevator was also connected for handicapped individuals like Jon.

"Wow, cool water tower." Jon said. The worker stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened, hoping Jon wouldn't dare think of going up by the elevator-

"Mind if I go up?" Jon asked, pointing to the elevator.

"Um…probably best if you didn't." The worker said, turning around. "It's uh…structurally unsound and unstable up there. Wouldn't want you falling and dieing."

"…it's been reinforced." Jon said. "For one thing, the pulleys tighten the support beams and the iron bars placed around them also help."

Before the worker could say another thing, Jon was already heading toward the elevator. He stepped inside and pressed the up arrow. The pulleys activated and began lifting the elevator up towards the top of the water tower.

'_Oh no…this is not good.'_ The worker thought as he watched the elevator go up. _'If he…if he opens up the symbol…and lets THEM out…' He shrugged off the thought. 'No, he probably doesn't have the key. Spielberg hid that key years ago. Besides, those…the ones inside must be energy deprived by this point. 14 years locked up in there, those things are. They can't possibly be filled with energy…are they even alive still?'_ The worker was too distracted with his thoughts to notice that Jon had arrived at the top of the water tower.

Jon marveled at the lot from the top of the tower. He smiled and was about to go back down when he heard something. It sounded like…slow shuffling. He pressed his ear to the side of the water tower and listened. The shuffling was coming from inside…but what was inside? He heard small mumbles within the tower, but they were too faint to be made out into actual words. He looked around for an entrance to the tower when he saw the Warner Brothers logo. It had…hinges on it? And a door handle…was this thing a door?! What was inside? However, then something got his attention. There was a large golden padlock with chains attached to it that covered the logo. How had he not noticed this before? Whatever was inside must've been suffering…

Then Jon remembered it. The golden key he received from his now deceased father 20 years ago. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the key. It rusted with age but it seemed to still work. He took a breath, hoping he was making a good decision. He stuck the key in to the pad lock. A clicking sound was heard. The shuffling inside seemed to be slowing to a stop. He turned the key. Now it was completely silent within the water tower. Jon turned the key once more and pulled it away, putting it back in to his pocket. The padlock and chains clattered as they fell to the wooden boarded floor beneath him, making a loud banging noise. There was still a complete and utter silence from within the water tower.

"What was that?" The worker called up to the tower. He was getting suspicious.

"Nothing!" Jon called back. "I just banged my arm on the tower, nothing bad!"

He turned back to the door. The strange logo door. It seemed so familiar to him, yet strange and unsettling. He grasped the handle, taking another breath. There was still a complete silence. He began to pull. Dust shot everywhere as for the first time in 14 years, the water tower door was being opened. It slowly opened with a loud screeching sound like most old doors would do, but this sound was much more lower pitched. The door was finally all the way open as light poured in to the dark water tower. Jon couldn't make out what they were, but he saw many objects within the tower. Then he heard it.

"…h-hello?" A weak voice stuttered. Jon looked down. He saw three figures weakly sitting on the floor in the light square that the sunlight had made.

The three figures appeared to be dog/cat/rabbit hybrids of some kind, or at least that's what Jon could see them as. They all had varying heights, probably signifying age difference. The tallest one looked to be about 14 and it had on a torn pair of brown slacks. It also appeared to be male. The second one was a bit shorter than the first and appeared to be male as well, looking about 10 or 11. It had on a red, dirty baseball cap that was backwards, and it also wore a blue sweater. The last one appeared to be a female that was about 8 or 9. It had a small pink dress that was torn and dusty with patches on it, as well as a small yellow bow in its hair. They looked at Jon with weak and confused expressions on their faces, like they were left to die but were being saved by a messiah of some sort.

"Who…who are you?" Jon asked.

"We're the Warner Brothers…" The tallest one said weakly, stuttering a bit.

"And the Warner Sister." The female one said, then beginning to cough. The tallest one wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

'_Whoa…'_ John thought. _'These guys…? What happened to them?!'_ He thought up many questions in his mind. Why were they so weak? Why were they here? Were they even real?! Then the most important question raced through his mind.

Who locked them in the water tower…and why?

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

**And thus, the story begins! I've read a few things about the Warners getting out of the tower, but those stories had them all happy-go-lucky and full of energy and still as insane as ever…so I decided to change that. They couldn't have survived on their own in the tower that long, toon or not. They're weak and battered and starving and dirty and near the point of death…all because they haven't done anything for the past 14 years. Maybe Jon is their savior. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the start of this story, reviews are highly appreciated, and as always…**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, 087-B here with the next chapter of Years Later, the Animaniacs story that takes place after the TV series. In the last chapter, we were introduced to Jonathan Spielberg, the new owner of the Warner Brothers studios. In this chapter, he'll learn more about the Warner siblings; the trio he found locked away in the water tower. Maybe he'll find out why they were locked inside? Probably not this chapter.**

**Now, on with the show!**

_Chapter 2: A New Home_

The Warner siblings continued to stare at the new individual before them. Who was he? Why was he here? Why did he open the door? Was he…was he here to set them free from their imprisonment?

"Who…who did this to you guys?" Jon asked.

"Who locked us inside the tower?" The eldest one asked. Jon nodded. None of the siblings responded and simply looked at each other with worrying expressions, trying to reassure one another.

"…if you…if you don't want to answer, you don't have to…" Jon said. He felt so awkward talking to cartoons. It felt like he was talking to a TV screen, except he was on the other side of the screen. He did feel bad for the three, however, as they looked so beaten, so weak…what happened?! Did they just get worse in condition over the last decade?!

"W-Who are you?" The second eldest asked.

"I'm…Jonathan Spielberg." Jon answered. "New owner of the Warner Brothers studio lot." He was about to continue when he realized he barely remembered these three from his youth. "Who are you three, anyway?"

"Yakko Warner." The eldest said.

"Wakko Warner." The second eldest said.

"Dot Warner." The youngest said.

"Nice to meet you three." Jon said, showing a smile. The three didn't smile back, they only shivered and trembled a little.

"W-What y-year is it?" Dot asked.

"It's 2012." Jon answered. The Warner siblings' eyes widened.

"We were locked in here in 1998..." Yakko said. "It's been 14 years since then…"

"Geez…you guys don't look healthy. Are you three alright?" Jon asked. They shook their heads.

"We didn't have a lot when we were locked in here." Dot said "We had food and medicine, but that ran out..."

"Toons don't always need to eat food, but it's still nice to have, at least..." Wakko said. "Being locked in here wasn't fun, and nobody would let us out."

"But now…" Yakko began. "Now you're here."

"What do I have to do with this?" Jon asked.

"…are you willing to let us go?" Yakko asked.

"Let you leave the tower? I don't see why not." Jon answered. "I don't even know why you guys were locked in here in the first place."

The Warner siblings weakly stood up, still trembling and shivering. They slowly walked toward Jon and stepped past him, going outside of the tower. There eyes had a hard time adjusting to the sunlight, but they got used to it. They were shocked to see how the world had changed…well, it didn't change way too noticeably here, but they hadn't seen the outside world in so, so long… The wind blew in their faces and their tails slowly wagged. They stared over the bars out into the studio lot. They didn't smile, but inside they were incredibly happy to finally be free.

"Spielberg! How dare you!" The worker from before had climbed up the ladder and was fuming with rage. He glared at the surprised Warner siblings. Yakko beckoned his siblings behind him for protection.

"What do you want, sir?" Jon asked, stepping out of the tower.

"You let these insane psychos out of the tower?! What is wrong with you?!" The worker shouted.

"Psychos?! You've gotta be kidding me!" Jon scoffed. "These three are absolutely harmless! Besides, they're near dead, and they need help, and all you can say is I've made a mistake?!"

"…you really don't know what you've done, do you?" The worker glared at him. "They were psychos on their show and off set, even!" Jon sighed.

"That was 20 years ago!" He retorted. "That was WAY in the past!"

"Does that really matter?! They haven't adapted!" The worker said.

"But I'm the boss here." Jon said, smirking. The worker mumbled to himself, knowing he lost the argument. "And my first order of business is that the Warner siblings can roam the facility at all times as long as they do not vandalize, destroy, or do anything else of the sort to any of the buildings within the facility." He turned to look at the trio. "Especially my dad's- I mean my office." The worker glared again.

"…fine, but don't say I didn't warn ya." He then climbed down the ladder.

"I can't believe he just let it go." Yakko said.

"I can't believe he forgot the elevator was right next to him." Jon said. He put a serious look on his face and knelt down in front of the kids. "…so what now?"

"What are you asking?" Wakko asked.

"Where do you plan on going? What do you plan on doing?" Jon asked. "I mean, you can't just stay here…can you?"

"…the water tower is the only place we've ever been able to call home." Dot said.

"So then…you want to stay here?" Jon asked.

"…you'll lock us up again, won't you?" Wakko asked.

"Why would I do that?" Jon asked.

"Haven't you seen our cartoon? We're pretty much reckless, annoying, and insane." Yakko said. "Would you really want that running around?"

"Does it look like I care?" Jon asked sarcastically. The trio didn't respond. "You three obviously need help."

"But where would we go?" Yakko asked. Jon pondered over that question for a moment. Where would they go?

"…if you want, you can stay with me for as long as you need." He suggested. "I have plenty of space, and I'm willing to let you guys figure out what you want to do next." Wakko and Dot smiled at the offer, but Yakko stayed quiet, not even smiling or saying "thanks". Could he really trust another human? It was humans who put him and his siblings in the tower in the first place, after all.

The four went down the elevator. The Warner siblings were a little surprised by the elevator, as it wasn't there 14 years ago. Once they reached the bottom, they followed Jon to the entrance of the lot. It hadn't changed in the past 14 years, but it sure did look…old and worn down, in a way. They were about to exit when Jon stopped himself.

"Wait, I forgot something." He said. "You three just wait by my car, I'll be right back." The Warner's nodded. Jon walked off to his father's old office. Once inside, he walked over to the desk and took a something out of his pocket. He placed it on the desk and left. The object was a golden outlined, black name plate that read 'Jonathan R. Spielberg' in golden letters.

:::::

The drive back to the house was a very, _very_ long one. The car was on the highway and the time was 6:57 PM. It was very silent. None of the Warner kids made conversation with Jon or each other, and Jon himself stayed quiet. By this point, Wakko and Dot had fallen asleep, leaning onto Yakko's arms. Jon was pulling off the highway when he heard Yakko speak.

"…what is that?" He asked. Jon looked into the rearview mirror and saw the boy pointing at something. Following his gaze, Jon saw he was pointing at his leg brace and car controls.

"Oh, it's a leg brace." Jon answered. "It helps support my leg."

"Why do you need one?" Yakko asked.

"I have a disability. I'm handicapped." Jon answered. "It's a birth defect."

"Oh…" Yakko was quiet for a while, then he said, "…your dad."

"Huh?" Jon noticed Yakko speaking again.

"…your dad is Steven Spielberg, right?" Yakko asked.

"Yeah, why?" Jon asked.

"…he created Wakko, Dot, and I." Yakko answered. "We owe our lives to him…" He was quiet for a second before he almost lit up. "Where is he? Can we see him?" Jon was quiet for a moment.

"…my dad's been dead for 4 years." He answered. "Sorry, but…yeah…"

"…oh." Yakko was silent again as he looked down at the floor of the car. He restrained tears from exiting his eyelids, shutting his eyes to hold them in. Spielberg was one of his best friends on and off set, mainly because he was practically their father. Losing him felt like losing family to Yakko, something he never wanted to happen. He looked at his two siblings. He was glad they were asleep and didn't have to hear this yet. Hearing it right now would crush them greatly, so he would hold off on it for a while until they were ready. He coughed loudly and began shivering. He felt sick, indescribably sick. More than wanting to throw up. He shivered and shivered, hacking and coughing, before Jon pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. He turned to face the sickly boy.

"You alright?" He asked, a concerned tone in his voice. Yakko failed to answer and continued coughing, now coughing up blood. Jon quickly got out of the car and opened the side door that led to the back. He grabbed a tissue from his pocket and wiped off the blood that stained the bottom of Yakko's chin. He stopped coughing and continued to shiver.

'Damn, he's sick as hell…' Jon thought. "Don't worry, I'll get you three back to my house and get you some medicine." He took off his jacket and wrapped it around Yakko to keep him warm, then closed the side door, got in his seat, shut the front door and proceeded to drive off.

They reached the home in 20 minutes after the last stop. It was a nice, medium-sized home that was secluded by a fence and a tree border around the back of the house. It appeared to have two stories and it had a large garage as well as a nice porch. Once they were inside, Jon placed Wakko and Dot, who were still asleep, on a white couch in the front room so they could rest for now. Then he went into his bathroom and grabbed a bottle from the medicine cabinet that also happened to be a mirror. Yakko followed him inside as Jon knelt down in front of the poor boy. He held out a cup that contained about 10 milliliters of the medicine in the bottle.

"Drink it, it's medicine." He said. Yakko took it and gulped it down. It tasted bad, yeah, but he savored the taste. He hadn't tasted anything in so long…he almost forgot what he was drinking for a second. He finished it and stopped shivering momentarily.

"T-Thanks." Yakko stammered. Jon smiled at him.

"You better get some rest." He said. "I'll take you and your siblings up to the guest room." Yakko nodded. The two walked out and Jon picked up the sleeping Wakko and Dot in his arms while Yakko supported his bad leg. They approached the stairs.

"Damn…" Jon muttered. He slowly and carefully made his way up the stairs as he dragged his bum leg along. Going up and down stairs were probably the two most hardest things Jon ever had to do in his life, crutch or no crutch.

Eventually, he made it to the top, and the two went down the hall to a room at the end of it. They went into the room, and it was a nice, small room with a grand bed inside with some shelves, a desk, a dresser, and a television. A window was on the far wall that stared out down the Eastern part of the road. Jon set the sleeping children on the bed and under the covers while Yakko climbed in between them.

"Just rest up, okay?" Jon said. Yakko nodded. Jon smiled and walked out of the room, leaving the door open a crack.

Yakko stared at the ceiling for a while, many thoughts racing through his mind. What happened in the past 14 years? It's clear he and his siblings missed out on a lot. He felt a lot of regret that he never got to say goodbye to his creator, or rather, his father for that matter. Yet…he sort of has a new father now, in the form of Jon…he was thinking too deep about today. For now, he needed to sleep. He shut his eyes and thought about tomorrow. But something was new while he started to sleep. He was in a bed, not on the floor. He finally had someone to help him and his siblings, instead of being alone. Then he did something he hadn't done in a long time.

As he fell asleep, Yakko smiled.

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

**Well, Jon has found the Warner Siblings and has taken them back to his home, in short. His main questions (besides how the hell they're real) are who locked them up and why. But for now, he only cares about getting them back to full health, as right now…they could use some help. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, reviews are highly appreciated, and as always…**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, 087-B here, and I don't have too much to say here, so let's just jump into this chapter of the story! Last chapter, stuff happened. This chapter, stuff WILL happen! Exciting, I know!**

**This chapter is a little shorter than the last two but something pretty big happens at the end, so I gotta warn ya…there's blood involved…**

**Now, on with the show!**

_Chapter 3: A Day At The Studios_

Yakko blinked his eyes open, slowly awakening from his slumber. He sat up in the bed and yawned loudly. He looked around. His siblings weren't in his bed with him. Most likely exploring the house. He saw the sunlight shining in through the window, the tiny dust particles floating about in the light beams. Yakko got out of the bed and stretched his arms and legs, then walked out of the room. He heard water running and saw steam emitting from the slits above and below the door to the second room in the hall. He walked over to the door and knocked on it.

"Occupied!" Dot's voice called from within the room. Yakko sighed and smirked. His sister deserved a shower after all this time.

He walked through the hall and down the stairs, hearing sizzling from what he assumed was the kitchen. Turning the corner and going in to said kitchen, he saw Jon making something at the oven with a frying pan, Wakko eagerly peering at the meal from nearby, his tail wagging rapidly and happily and his tong sticking out of his mouth in a goofy manor, as usual.

"Good morning, brother sibling." Yakko said, leaning against the entrance beam to the kitchen. Wakko jumped in surprise, not knowing his brother was behind him.

"Well good morning, mister sleepyhead." Jon said, smirking.

"Morning, sir." Yakko said.

"…did you just call me 'sir'?" Jon asked.

"Yeah, why?" Yakko asked.

"No reason." Jon answered. "But you don't have to be so formal with me."

"…okay." Yakko said.

"Go ahead and take a seat at the table." Jon said. "I'll make some food for you three to eat, then we're heading back to the studio lot."

"Why?" Yakko asked.

"Cause I own the place now." Jon said. "So I work there, and I gotta get the place up and running again." He flipped what was in the frying pan, which turned out to be a flapjack. Wakko's mouth watered at the sight of it. "I'll be meeting a business client who used to work there. Then for a while I'll be signing paperwork and stuff." He flipped the food again, making Wakko's mouth water even more. "Then I can come back home and do whatever I want for the rest of the day."

"And I assume you're taking us with you so we can do what, exactly?" Yakko asked.

"Well, what you want to do there is _your_ choice." Jon answered.

:::::

The Warner siblings, satisfied from the first actual meal they've had in a long time, were now in the back of Jon's car as he drove to downtown Burbank, location of the Warner Brothers studio lot. The trio had wondered if Jon was going to throw them back into the water tower or not. He wouldn't do that…would he? Their thoughts were interrupted as Jon stopped the car. The three kids realized they were already outside the gates to the studio lot. Jon got out of the car first, followed by the Warner trio.

"You three can go on and do what you'd like for now." Jon said. "I'll be in my office. Just holler if you need me for anything." He walked off into his office building. The Warner trio looked around the seemingly abandoned lot.

"What happened to this place while we were gone?" Dot asked.

"It's like nobody ever uses this place anymore." Yakko said. "What do you think, Wakko?" He got no reply. "Wakko?" He and Dot looked around before seeing Wakko staring at a bunch of papers stuck to a wall. They walked over and read the one Wakko was staring at. It was a newspaper article that dated May 13, 2001.

_Warner Brothers Studio Lot closes down due to financial losses!_

"Wow, this place really _is_ abandoned." Wakko said. "Look at all of these newspapers…they talk about how much the studio did and why it shut down…"

"And Jon is trying to open it back up again." Dot said.

"You know, normally it's in our nature to annoy people, but…I think we should just let Jon do his thing." Yakko said. "Otherwise, we might end up ruining his chances at getting this place open again."

Then the trio heard a car pulling in. They turned quickly in surprise to see a black limousine slowly pull into the studio, then stop. They quickly hid behind a wall as the driver stepped out. The man was tall, around Jon's height, and appeared to be in his 50's. He had a blue suit on and he had a thick gray mustache as well as a pair of glasses. He also had a stopwatch attached to his belt, a walking cane (although it was clear he didn't need it), and a small, golden nameplate on his suit pocket. The Warners didn't recognize him at first, but then they caught a glimpse of the nametag. They silently gasped.

"No way! That's…that's…!" Wakko whispered to his siblings.

"Sibs…it's…_him_!" Yakko whispered. The man entered the office and Jon noticed. He looked up from his desk in surprise.

"Ah, you must be Jonathan Spielberg?" The man asked.

"Yes, that would be me." Jon said. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Thaddeus Plotz." He reached his hand out and shook hands with Plotz, who smiled as he did so, taking a seat across from Jon.

"I'm aware you would like to reopen this studio lot, yes?" Plotz asked.

"Yes, sir." Jon answered. "I feel it would be the best way to continue my father's legacy…or at least that's how I look at it, anyway."

"I think it would be a marvelous idea as well, yet we can't rush into it without paperwork being completed." Plotz said. He sounded much more sophisticated and formal than he did all those years ago. Jon assumed being away from the Warner trio must've eased his stress. "I do remember working here, many years ago. Your father was an excellent man."

"Everyone says that, and I can't disagree." Jon said. "So, what must I fill out first?" Plotz chuckled at Jon's remark.

"No need to rush." He said. He took out a small packet of paper and handed it to Jon. "This is the Warner Brothers studio lot Work Aptitude. It's usually used only for work purposes, as it says in the title, but it can also help with reopening the studios as it gives a sign of credibility."

"Thank you, sir." Jon said as he took a pen from a nearby container.

"This aptitude will require some personal information to be written down, so I'll leave you to your work." Plotz stood up and walked toward the door. "Once you are finished, please don't hesitate to come and get me. I shall be outside."

Plotz walked outside and leaned against the wall of the building. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. He put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it with the lighter, then exhaled the smoke. He proceeded to repeat when something spoke to him.

"T.P.?" The voice was familiar to Plotz. His eyes slowly widened in shock as he slowly turned to his right, seeing the Warner siblings a mere 1.5 meters away. The voice he heard belonged to Yakko.

"…W-Warner?" Plotz asked in disbelief. The trios smiled and nodded rapidly, as if they were back to their old selves. Plotz slowly began walking toward them still in shock, wondering if he was hallucinating or not. "Is it…is it really you three?"

"Yep! It's us, T.P.!" Yakko said in his giddy tone from years ago. Plotz slowly began to raise his cane as he got closer. The kids' smiles faded. "Uh…T.P.? What are you doing?" Plotz got closer, his cane being raised higher. "Seriously, what-"

_**WHAM!**_

Plotz rapidly brought his cane down and it collided with Yakko's forehead and left eye. Yakko barely had any time to react as he fell to the ground. Wakko and Dot stared in horror, their eyes wide and their jaws hanging open. Blood trickled out of Yakko's eye socket and forehead, creating a small pool on the ground. Plotz then brought his cane up and slammed it down on the same spot a second time.

_**WHAM!**_

Even more blood poured out as Yakko slipped into an unconscious state.

"No stop!" Dot cried, trying to grab Plotz' cane, but he merely shoved her away.

"T.P., why are you doing this?!" Wakko cried, grabbing onto Plotz' leg. Plotz kicked him away, then brought his cane down on Yakko's head again. He was about to do it a fourth time when Jon appeared and grabbed the can out of his hand.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He shouted, throwing the cane off to the side. Plotz stared at him with a rage filled expression.

"Who let these delinquents out of the water tower, where they rightfully deserve to be?!" He asked angrily. He almost had steam emerging from his ears.

"I did, sir, and you have no right to attack them like that!" Jon retorted.

"How dare you let them out! What is wrong with you?!" Plotz shouted again. Before Jon could reply, Plotz punched Jon in the face, sending him back a bit. "I see no reason to reopen this studio lot unless you put these three back into the water tower!" He grabbed his cane and stormed off to his limo, got inside, and drove off. Jon knelt by the trio.

"Damn…we need to get him to a doctor." He said. "Why did he attack you guys like that? Was he the one who locked you three in the tower?" Yakko and Dot shook their heads.

"He did something much worse than that." Dot said. "Much, much worse…" Jon decided not to ask what.

"Come on, help me get him into my car, and keep pressure on his wounds." He said. "We need to get him to a hospital."

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

…**I have no words…still hope you enjoyed the chapter though, reviews are highly appreciated, and as always…**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


	4. Chapter 4

**Holy crap, I'm so so so sooooo sorry for not updating in sooooo long DX.**

**I MEANT to update earlier (way earlier) but then the original file got corrupted. Then I started to rewrite, but writers block caught up to me, and for a while it was just a plain hiatus with no progress whatsoever.**

**Then, after a small chat with sir UnknownWarner, long story short, he partially inspired me to get back on this story. The other part that inspired me was catching an episode of Animaniacs! on TV the other day. I don't remember the episode title, though. Now, after 50 something rewrites, here is the long awaited chapter 4.**

**Sorry for any OOCness, the long hiatus got me out of the rhythm for writing this story, if that makes any sense.**

**Now, on with the long overdue show!**

**Chapter 4: Half**

A small drizzle picked up late that night, the thin rain drops pattering on the window panels of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, a residential hospital within Burbank, California. Jon sat quietly in a small waiting room, his hands clasped together as he appeared to be in deep thought, a neutral expression on his face.

Wakko, tear streaks on his face, was staring out the window behind him in the chair on Jon's right. The room was quiet, save for his occasional depressed sniffles from time to time.

Dot simple rested her eyes, tear streaks on her face as well, as she lay back on the chair to Wakko's right. Normally she would be balling right now over something as big as this...incident, though she knew she had to be strong. Wakko knew that too, though his mind couldn't stray from the terrible thoughts of what happened and what was to come.

It was very awkward for the doctors when the four arrived. It had started to rain a bit as they had arrived. Jon tried to tell the doctors to take Yakko, but they wouldn't listen.

"Sir, please, a 'fake cartoon character' is not a part of our services." A male doctor, Peterson, had said. "But your leg brace is looking a bit rusted...if you'd like, I could-"

"I don't give a damn about my leg." Jon gritted his teeth. "Let the brace rust, let my leg fall off for all I care. Take this boy and **help him**."

Dr. Peterson was about to reply when Wakko chimed in.

"P-Please doctor..." The boy sniffled and wiped his eyes. "P-Please help our brother!" He gave a hopeful yet depressed look to Dr. Peterson. He stared at the capped boy for a moment before taking the unconscious Yakko out of Jon's grasp.

"We'll be in operating room 211." He said. "We'll see what we can do."

Now, here they say in silence, waiting. Waiting for who knew how long. The Warners had waited fourteen years for freedom, and now they felt that desired freedom fleeting. Their freedom was taken, and now Yakko was too. At least, not yet.

Wakko was surprised at how depressing his thoughts were. He almost always found light in the dark, the good out of bad. But now...he couldn't find any good in this bad, other than Yakko surviving.

_'It's just an eye.'_ Wakko kept telling himself in his head. _'It's not fatal, it's just an eye. He'll be a p-pirate now, y-yeah.'_ He sniffled again, unable to deter his mind to something fun, like his endless appetite.

"He'll be okay." Jon spoke out of the silence. "He will." He gave neutral, reassuring looks to both of the Warner siblings before him. They simply returned his gaze with solemn stares, as if they wanted to believe him, but couldn't.

Even more hours passed, they were told to go home, even. But they didn't leave. They didn't want to leave. Jon stood up and stretched a bit. He took hold of his crutch.

"I'm just going to make a quick phone call." He told the two Warner siblings. "You'll be alright while I'm out, right?" Wakko and Dot nodded slightly. Jon gave them one last look before exiting the waiting room and out into the hall.

"...what're we gonna do, Wakko?" Dot asked.

"What do you mean?" Wakko asked.

"Look at everything." Dot began. "We're alone except for Jon, Plotz is back, and now Yakko...everything is just getting worse."

"...I know." Wakko replied, barely audible. They sat in their seats, staring at the ground. Then a new voice joined them.

"Whoa, are you two the Animaniacs?"

Dot and Wakko looked up to see a young girl with pigtails and a dress in front of them, smiling a toothy grin.

"Yeah, that's us." Wakko feinted his signature goofy smile, something he hadn't done in who knows how long.

"We're two of them anyway." Dot forced a smile as well.

"I see you guys on my mommy's old video tapes all the time!" The girl said. "Aren't there three of you? Where's Yakko?"

"...he's in one of the rooms." Wakko pointed down the hall.

"Did he have a little accident?" The girl asked in concern.

_'I wouldn't call it little...'_ Dot thought. "Yes, he did. He'll be fine though, don't you worry." The girl smiled again.

"Tell him I said hi!" She said. She turned to leave but then looked at the two again. "My daddy knew you guys, I think."

"Hm? Who's your dad?" Wakko asked curiously.

"I don't know his first name...something with an O." The girl said. "You guys always used to call him 'Scratchy' I think."

Immediately the two siblings lit up. They simply had to know more.

"Where is your dad? Is he here? Can we see him?" Dot's smile was no longer fake.

"He's not here, I'm here with my mommy." The girl said. "My daddy went away somewhere, my mommy told me. He won't be back for a while."

"Oh..." Wakko slouched. "Well if you see him, please tell him we said hi, tell him it's from the Warner brothers!"

"And the Warner sister!" Dot added in. The girl giggled

"I will!" She said. "Bye!" She waved and walked off, and the two Warners returned the gesture.

"I almost completely forgot about ol Scratchy." Dot said. "I wonder how he's been."

"He's probably living a normal boring life. We should surprise him someday with a visit he won't forget!" Wakko said. "The three of us-" he stopped short, remembering why they were here. He and Dot slouched again. Then Jon reentered the room.

"I assume you two are alright?" He asked. "Well, alright as in not crazy."

"We haven't gone crazy in a while..." Dot said. She and Wakko exchanged smirks.

"Well if you're gonna do it, don't do it here." Jon sat back down. "For one, tons of people here need rest, and two, Yakko's still out for the count."

"...but he'll be better, like you said, right?" Wakko asked.

"Yeah, he'll be fine." Jon said. It sounded half hearted, but they knew it was just because he was stressed.

They were silent for another moment before Jon spoke up again.

"Considering its 2012, things have obviously changed." He said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, thin, black rectangle with curvy corners. One side had a screen and button while the other side had a white icon of an apple with a bite taken out of it.

"What's that?" Dot asked.

"It's called an iPhone." Jon answered, smiling a bit. "It's a touchscreen phone that can make calls, play games, go online, send mail, get mail, you can buy things, sell things, take pictures, you name it, it can do it."

"Can it fly?" Wakko eagerly took the phone and tried to figure out how it worked.

"Uh, no, it can't." Jon answered. "And don't test that theory by throwing it out the window. That phone cost me 500 bucks."

"Wakko, lemme see!" Dot shoved her brother aside and took the phone for herself. Wakko grabbed for it again. The two struggled with it before it flew out of their grasps, landing on Jon's lap. He put the phone back in his pocket.

"Don't mess around with it. I payed a pretty penny for it." He said. "I'll find something else for you to mess with when we head home later."

"I never knew they had phones like that back in the 90s." Dot said.

"That's cause they didn't. They started making them in the early 2000s." Jon said.

"Who's 'they'?" Wakko asked.

"The Apple Corporation." Jon answered. "And no, Wakko, they don't make apples or apple based foods."

"Aww." The Warner boy pouted in his seat while Dot chuckled to herself. Jon grinned and straightened the crooked red cap on his head. Then Dr. Peterson stepped out from down the hall. Jon immediately stood up and took hold of his crutch, walking over to him.

"Any news doc?" He asked.

"He's awake and stable. There's no infection, we were able to clean the wound, and there's no major blood loss." Peterson said. "He'll be just fine." The two Warner siblings smiled at each other with hope.

"Can we see him? Can we see him?" The two begged to the doctor.

"Maybe soon, though he has requested to speak with Mr. Spielberg alone first." The doctor said, making the two children frown. He looked at Jon. "If you would politely come with me, please." Jon turned and knelt down in front of Wakko and Dot.

"Just wait here, alright?" Jon said. He gave them a smile. "I'll deliver him a message from you two if you want me to." Wakko and Dot smiled again.

"Tell him everything will work out and soon we'll be back in the game!" Dot said.

"And make sure he's really alright...alright?" Wakko asked.

"Of course I will." Jon smiled and placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Now just wait out here, I'll go check on him." He stood back up and followed Dr. Peterson down the hall. They were outside room 211 when Peterson stopped him.

"Look, I'm going to be honest here." The doctor kept his voice quiet and serious. "I told a white lie to the kids so they wouldn't be upset."

"What's wrong with him, just tell me." Jon kept his voice calm and neutral.

"...Yakko is stable and alive, nothing fatal...but we couldn't exactly fix what was broken." Peterson said.

"What do you mean?" Jon raised an eyebrow. He would've crossed his arms in skepticism, though that would've meant dropping his much needed crutch.

"...well, you see," The doctor began. "His orbital...was crushed beyond help. We couldn't save the eye."

"...show him to me." Jon pressed.

"But sir, his eye-"

"Show him to me now, please." Jon said a bit more forcefully. "He's my responsibility, I need to see him."

"...very well." Dr. Peterson huffed a sigh of frustration, then led Jon into the room.

Yakko was on a bed, hooked up to machinery to check his pulse and condition. He had a neutral expression and was twiddling his thumbs, though what stood out now was the bandages that were wrapped around his head like an eye-patch, covering his damaged eye. He didn't look up to greet the doctor or Jon, he simply stayed quiet, immersed in deep thoughts.

"Yakko, Mr. Spielberg is here, as per your request to speak with him." Dr. Peterson said. Then he left the room. Jon took a seat next to the bed.

"Hey." He said.

"Hiya." Yakko half-heartedly returned the greeting. His voice was quiet and sad.

"How are you?" Jon asked in concern.

"Peachy keen." Yakko said.

"...you know your-"

"Yeah, I know. Doc told me earlier." The eldest Warner spat. "...don't tell my sibs this eye thing is permanent."

"Don't shield them from this stuff." Jon said. "They have to grow up some time."

"No, they don't." Yakko argued, his volume rising. "I don't grow up, they don't grow up, we toons **don't grow up**! I've been 14 years old for 20 something years!"

"Calm down, Yakko, it was just a suggestion." Jon said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." Yakko looked at him with slight regret, then sighed.

"Yeah, I am too." They were silent for a moment. "How are they?"

"They're fine." Jon answered. "They told me to tell you everything will work out soon."

"But it won't." Yakko said. "Things don't just work out."

"...ya know, when I grew up watching your show, this isn't the Yakko I remember." Jon said. "The Yakko I remember could play two paddle balls at once. The Yakko I remember could sing about every country in the world, every word in the dictionary. The Yakko I remember could make wisecracks and would leap out of the water tower with his sibs to ruin someone's day after they ruined somebody else's." Yakko glared at Jon angrily.

"Well the Yakko _you_ remember is _dead_ now."

Jon simply stared at him, not shocked or mad or scared, simply calm.

"Alright then." He stood up and prepared to leave. "Doc told me you'll be able to go home in a few hours. I'll see you then." Before he could get a reply from Yakko, he left the room.

Yakko stared at the ceiling in silence, unmoving. He blinked his remaining eye painfully, his half clear, half dark vision incredibly unnerving. He sighed as he started to rest, letting the fatigue he had bottled up overtake him as he drifted to sleep.

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

**Phew, got this chapter done.**

**Tensions rise between Jon and Yakko, as their relationship is strained now. How will they fair later on?**

**Sorry for the OOCness coming from Yakko, but ya gotta understand; the poor kid just got his eye smashed. He's depressed over the harsh reality of life, alright? Not everyone is happy all the time (I'm pretty sure some A! episodes can point that fact out too).**

**Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this long overdue chapter, reviews are highly appreciated, as I love all feedback and criticism, and as always…**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


	5. Quick Update

**Hey guys, not a new chapter, but rather an update. A sad one at that...this story is cancelled-**

**Nah, kidding, kidding.**

**But seriously, some sad news; the entirety of Chapter 5 and part of 6 were lost due to my GMail account getting shut down. I meant to announce this earlier but the end of school was far too big and busy for me to have any time to formally say this.**

**However, just because I lost the files does not mean this story will be on an even longer hiatus. I want to work on rewriting these chapters, but I'm incredibly lazy...**

**...so I wanna collaborate with someone.**

**Yeah, I've become so lazy to the point of enlisting help in getting someone to write the story for me- I mean...uh...help me write these chapters!**

**Pointless update, I guess, but maybe I'd update more if I had help writing, because writer's block is also a huge factor here.**

**Anyways, see ya.**


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